INSANITY. 633 



which those who confine, or are instrumental in confining, persons that 

 have children, should be compelled to see that the children are brought, 

 a certain number of times every year, to visit the parent thus confined. 

 Again, patients should have greater freedom in communicating with 

 the outside world. As it is, every letter written by a patient is care- 

 fully read by the superintendent or some officer ; now, suppose a man 

 is unjustly confined, and that the superintendent is an accessory to this 

 false imprisonment. What opportunity would such an unfortunate 

 prisoner have to obtain his freedom? The superintendent can pre- 

 vent any letter going out that contains any reflections upon himself or 

 the institution in his care. Should friends wish to see such a patient, 

 all the superintendent need do is to say that he can not permit an in- 

 terview, because the patient is excitable or sick any such excuse will 

 do. It is always against rules for a patient to address visitors unless 

 they come to see him particularly. But suppose a patient was success- 

 ful in laying before a stranger a case of injustice what then ? Why, 

 the superintendent can say that the patient did not know what he was 

 talking about, and that would end the matter with ninety-nine people 

 out of a hundred, for every one knows how humiliating it is to appear 

 to be deceived by an insane person ! 



Let the reader remember that I am not publishing this to bring a 

 railing accusation against asylums or superintendents. While I was 

 confined I was treated like a gentleman, and was shown every consid- 

 eration by the superintendent and all the officers. I do not believe 

 that in the institution where I was a case of unjust imprisonment could 

 possibly occur while the present superintendent is in charge. What I 

 wish to demonstrate is that the system invites abuses by making it so 

 easy for an unprincipled superintendent to act in collusion with an un- 

 principled outside party, where there are financial or other temptations 

 to deprive some innocent man or woman of his or her personal liberty. 

 It is enough to say there is the writ of habeas corpus ; but how is an 

 unfortunate person in such a case to inform a lawyer that he wants 

 such a writ issued in his behalf ? And does any one believe that, if 

 the Board of Visitors in New York could have been relied upon to do 

 their duty thoroughly, any such outrage as that upon Mr. Silkman 

 could ever have been perpetrated, or that it would have ever been 

 attempted ? 



The " cottage system " has been spoken of as one means of render- 

 ing asylum-life pleasanter. But, although that system is better for the 

 patients, it is not nearly so convenient for the officers ; and, as these 

 latter have always more to say on the subject than the patients, it is 

 not likely that the cottage plan will ever be very extensively adopted. 

 It is much easier to manage an institution where everybody and every- 

 thing are in one large building than where they are scattered in dif- 

 ferent houses. Nevertheless if patients could have more of out-door 

 life, could move about in a flower-garden and breathe the fresh air and 



